Srinagar: Indian police have arrested a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant Surendra Singh Rana on charges of sexual harassment. Udhampur Police have registered a case against the accused under sections 509, 354A and 354D of the of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the details, a two-member team headed by IG will investigate the case. The complainant has alleged that she was subjected to sexual and mental harassment on several occasions and also received lewd messages from Rana.
The complainant alleged, “On numerous occasions, he deliberately passed such comments in front of officers and men which made people believe that he is favouring her.
All this led people to believe that I am being favoured and, subsequently, someone made an anonymous call to his wife.” Indian government’s failure to properly enforce its sexual harassment law leaves millions of women in the workplace exposed to abuse without remedy.
Central and local governments have failed to promote, establish and monitor complaints committees – a central feature of the POSH Act – to receive complaints of sexual harassment, conduct inquiries and recommend actions against abusers. South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Meenakshi Ganguly said, “India has progressive laws to protect women from sexual abuse by bosses, colleagues and clients, but has failed to take basic steps to enforce these laws.”
Indian government should stand for the rights of women, whether they are domestic workers, government scheme workers, or office workers to work in safety and dignity. Culture of sexual harassment is very common in Indian armed forces as evident of the fact, in recent past a lady officer of IAF complained against flight commander. Web Desk
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